Exploring the World of Craft Meat
Understanding Sous Vide Cooking with The Sous Vide Guy
April 15th, 2017 by Laura T. • Read 3,198 times • 3 min read
Does sous vide cooking seem like it's all the rage in the food industry these days? You've likely seen it on TV or in food magazines and blogs, but weren't quite sure how to do it yourself. We sat down with Derek Gaughan, founder of the site Sous Vide Guy, to learn what sous vide cooking is all about, and how you can get started at home. CC: Sous vide cooking is increasingly featured in cooking magazines and blogs. Why is it generating such a...
Decorated Pitmaster Jim Foss on Easter Rib Steaks
April 10th, 2017 by Laura T. • Read 1,932 times • 1 min read
Is ham going to be the centerpiece of your Easter dinner? Again? If you’re looking to shake things up and wow your dinner guests, think about a standing rib roast or beautifully marbled rib steaks. Jim Foss knows a little something about preparing delicious beef -- regardless of the holiday. Foss is co-founder and president of Pitmaster Hospitality, a company that includes a popular barbecue restaurant in Leesburg, Va., called Smokehouse Live....
How To Prepare a Delicious Passover Brisket
April 6th, 2017 by Joe Heitzeberg • Read 2,650 times • 3 min read
Brisket is a Passover tradition. For many, a Passover meal is incomplete without this large, revered cut of beef. Others, like Stephanie Pierson, who wrote "The Brisket Book" take it even further by stating, “Some foods will improve your meal, your mood, your day, your buttered noodles. Brisket will improve your life.” While brisket can be grilled or smoked, braising is the preferred method of preparation in early April. There are countless...
Your Guide to Frozen Beef
March 31st, 2017 by Joe Heitzeberg • Read 3,245 times • 1 min read
Here at Crowd Cow, we flash freeze our beef and ship it directly to you. Freezing beef is an ideal way to preserve quality and taste. How Long Can Beef Stay In The Freezer? According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), “frozen foods remain safe indefinitely” in the freezer. So if you’ve had something in there for years, it’s still safe to eat. But that doesn’t mean it will taste all that great. The USDA offers...
How To Fry the Perfect Steak
March 29th, 2017 by Laura T. • Read 3,886 times • 2 min read
A perfect steak can sometimes feel elusive. If it’s not cooked just right, it can be tough, dry and even a bit bland. Don’t despair. Follow these five simple, time-tested steps below and you’ll enjoy a mouthwatering steak in no time. 1. Use The Right Tools To fry a really good steak, you’ll need a really hot surface. We recommend using a heavy-bottomed pan that allows for maximum heat retention and an evenly-heated surface. Cast iron pans are...
Press Release: Food Tech Startup Crowd Cow Launches to Connect Sustainable Ranchers Direct To Consumers
March 22nd, 2017 by Joe Heitzeberg • Read 1,395 times • 1 min read
SEATTLE, Wash., Seattle-based startup Crowd Cow announced today that it launched its service to ship premium beef from small, sustainable cattle ranches direct to consumers. Crowd Cow’s co-founders are tech start-up veterans Ethan Lowry and Joe Heitzeberg. Lowry is best known for co-founding the hit Urbanspoon app while Heitzeberg founded Snapvine, a communication platform acquired by Whitepages. Lowry and Heitzeberg were inspired by a friend...
The Ultimate Guide to Wagyu
August 10th, 2016 by Joe Heitzeberg • Read 2,730 times • 9 min read
What's Wagyu? Wagyu is, quite simply, the most sought after beef in the world -- and the subject of much confusion, thanks to the frequent misuse of the term "Kobe beef" in this country. We set out to discover the truth about Wagyu. This article is the result of research conducted from Japanese language original sources and first-hand interviews with experts including one of the original people responsible for bringing Wagyu to the United...
Wagyu Cooking Guide
May 11th, 2016 by Bolek S. • Read 3,491 times • 2 min read
Wagyu is quite simply the very best beef. We've put together this cooking guide to help you get the most out of your Wagyu experience. UPDATE: For A5 Wagyu from Japan, we have prepared a very special preparation guide: How to Prepare and Enjoy A5 Wagyu The goal is to experience a quality piece of meat for what it is. A quality meat has the characteristics and profiles by which people struggle to find the right words to describe. We’re here to...
How to thaw frozen meat
May 11th, 2016 by Joe Heitzeberg • Read 2,426 times • less than one min read
The best way to thaw frozen meat is by leaving it overnight in the fridge. Although it may not be the fastest way (compared to submerging it in cool water + changing the water every 30 minutes), the longevity of this process allows for an even thaw and in turn, keeps the food out of the ‘danger zone’ (40F-140F). On the other hand, we've come to be big fans of not defrosting at all before cooking beef. Except for Wagyu, which has fat that is...
Bringing Wagyu to Crowd Cow
November 13th, 2015 by Joe Heitzeberg • Read 2,478 times • less than one min read
Despite roasting a whole cow in Japan on my 20th birthday, working on a farm in Hokkaido and being a fan of Japanese cuisine, the term "Wagyu" just wasn't something I had spent much time thinking about. It means "Japanese cow" and has become synonymous with high quality beef, that much I knew. But why does it have such a stellar reputation? What are the different kinds of Wagyu? What's the difference between Wagyu in the states vs the Wagyu in...
